Campaigners are calling for a clear strategy after funds for co-ordinating offshore power lines were scrapped. 

It was announced on Wednesday that the Offshore Co-ordination Support Scheme (OCSS) would no longer be funded by the Government. 

Energy minister Michael Shanks told South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge that if the Government continued to support the scheme, it could delay construction of power grids linking to new North Sea windfarms.

Rosie PearsonRosie Pearson (Image: Contributed)

Rosie Pearson, founder of the Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons, said a "clear strategy for offshore co-ordination is needed".

"Co-ordination does reduce costs," she said.

"The problem was that the now cancelled ‘Offshore Coordination Support Scheme’ wasn't strategic. It was voluntary.

"We need a clear strategy for off-shore coordination and have been saying that since before the OCSS. We were also clear that connecting Sea Link/5E/NF was always a bad idea, from when it was first mooted."

South Suffolk MP James CartlidgeSouth Suffolk MP James Cartlidge (Image: House of Commons)

Fiona Gilmore, director of Suffolk Energy Action Solutions, said they are calling for a "short review" and a "pause of a few months" to allow for multiple options to be considered. 

She believes a strategic spatial energy plan is required and "long overdue".

She added: "We look to this Prime Minister for serious strategic thinking. 

"The economic opportunities for Britain in the renewables sector are enormous but we don’t need to be the Wild East to maximise these options.”

Following the letter from the Energy Minister, Mr Cartlidge said: "The government is talking about spending £4bn on a cable to take electricity from Scotland to the north of England but won't spend £800m to protect this part of the world.

"It's also a bit rich to have them saying they don't want to increase bills for households when thousands of my constituents are going to have to lose their winter fuel allowance this year!"